Process to approve 'monstrous' solar farm 'stinks'

Plans for the solar panel farm near Beverley will be decided at national level

Plans to build a "monstrous'" solar farm "bigger than Monaco and Gibraltar combined" have been discussed at an "unusual" council meeting.

East Riding Council's planning committee questioned the purpose of discussing plans for the Peartree Hill Solar Farm proposed for land east of Beverley, as it will in fact be decided by the government's Planning Inspectorate.

The proposals for the 320MW farm, enough to power 136,000 homes, include a battery energy storage system.

Councillor Denis Healy, leader of the Liberal Democrats at the council, said: "It almost feels as though we've been dragged here just for the sake of it because of the requirements, just to be told what's going to happen."

The plan is split into five areas, Land Areas B to F

The proposed 891 hectare (2,202 acre) site is larger than Monaco and Gibraltar combined, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said because the farm, earmarked for an area near Tickton, Meaux, and Weel, is more than 50MW it is deemed a "nationally significant infrastructure project" and has to be decided by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and New Zero rather than the local authority.

However, the council can choose to submit a report to voice its concerns and outline the impact the proposal could have on the area.

'Mega sprawl of panels'

Healy feared submitting a report would make the council "complicit in this process", adding: "I don't want to be... I think it absolutely stinks."

Labour councillor David Nolan said the site's name sounded "rural, rustic" but the site instead represented "a monstrous mega sprawl of industrial panels".

He also voiced concerns about the process by which the project could be approved, adding: "As elected councillors, I do think we have a role to represent residents and to vote on major planning applications - and this is as big as it gets."

Conservative councillor Michael Lee described the meeting as "probably the most unusual planning meeting I've ever been to", given it had no say in the outcome.

The committee agreed to submit a report to the Secretary of State which states they would refuse the proposals if they had power to.

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